Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Blumenthal is one of the most reliable Democratic votes, meaning he can be considered a safe vote for the Democratic Party in Congress.

Biography

Blumenthal graduated from Harvard College (Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude) and Yale Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal.[3] From 1970 to 1976 he served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant. [4]

Issues

Legislative actions

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 114 out of the 3,036 introduced bills (3.8 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.[7] The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Blumenthal's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.[8]

National security

John Brennan CIA nomination

Blumenthal voted for the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination.[9]

Economy

Government shutdown

During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funds the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies.[10] The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Blumenthal voted with the Democratic Party for the bill.[11]

No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013

Blumenthal voted for H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspended the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill.[9]

2013 Senate Budget Proposal

Blumenthal voted in favor of the 2013 Senate Budget Proposal.[9] On March 23, 2013, after an all-night debate that ended just before 5 a.m., by a 50 to 49 vote the Democratically controlled Senate approved its first budget in four years. No Republicans voted for the Senate plan, and four Democrats opposed it. All four are from red states and are up for re-election in 2014. Blumenthal was one of the four Democrats who voted against the budget proposal.[9]

The approved plan is a $3.7 trillion budget for 2014 and would provide a fast track for passage of tax increases, trim spending modestly and leave the government still deeply in the red for the next decade.

The approval of a budget in the Senate began the process of setting up contentious, and potentially fruitless, negotiations with the Republican-controlled House starting in April to reconcile two vastly different plans for dealing with the nation’s economic and budgetary problems.

The House plan would have brought the government’s taxes and spending into balance by 2023 with cuts to domestic spending even below the levels of automatic across-the-board cuts for federal programs now, and it orders up dramatic and controversial changes to Medicare and the tax code.

The Senate plan differed greatly, and included $100 billion in upfront infrastructure spending to bolster the economy and calls for special fast-track rules to overhaul the tax code and raise $975 billion over 10 years in legislation that could not be filibustered. Even with that tax increase and prescribed spending cuts, the plan approved by the Senate would leave the government with a $566 billion annual deficit in 10 years, and $5.2 trillion in additional debt over that window.

Immigration

Mexico-U.S. border

Blumenthal voted against Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines.[9]

Social Issues

Violence Against Women (2013)

Blumenthal voted for S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans.[9]

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Blumenthal voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by a 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.[12]

Controversy

Sanctions on Russian banks

On September 17, 2013, Blumenthal urged President Barack Obama’s administration to enforce sanctions on Russian banks that he said were helping to finance the Syrian government’s war against rebel groups.[13]

“The Syrians could not conduct this war without Russian financing,” Blumenthal said during a discussion on U.S. policy toward Syria and Iran at the Bipartisan Policy Center, in Washington, D.C.

He said he sent a letter with three other senators - Kelly Ayotte, John Cornyn, and Jeanne Shaheen – urging U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew to target the banks, which he said were violating existing sanctions under U.S. executive orders.[13]

“We can freeze their assets. We can stop them from doing business in the United States, prevent their employees from traveling here and, in effect, impose very heavy financial pain on the Russians,” Blumenthal said.[13]

Attorney General

Controversy

Big East and ACC

The Connecticut Attorney General played a pivotal role in one of the most notable college athletic stories in the first decade of the new century - the expansion of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with the departures of Boston College, Miami University, and Virginia Tech from the Big East. He led efforts on behalf of several Big East football universities (Connecticut, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and West Virginia) in legal proceedings against the ACC, the University of Miami, and Boston College "accusing the three schools of conspiring to weaken the Big East." [14]

After a suit against Miami University was thrown out because "attorneys could not prove the conference did enough business in Connecticut to warrant a state suit," [15] ACC Vice President Donn Ward questioned whether the people of Connecticut believed their top law enforcer ought to pursue far more important issues. In time, all of the suits filed in court would fail. Despite this, however, a settlement was reached, which included each school receiving $1 million and the addition of nine football games between 2008 and 2012. [16]

And even though Blumenthal has insisted in a statement that the settlement protected Connecticut taxpayers "critical investment in the UConn football program", press accounts detailed that the amount of the settlement covered less than half of the legal fees that each school incurred from participating in the litigation. [17] Furthermore, the argument that the Big East would be weakened as a result of the expansion of the ACC has fallen apart over the years. Teams such as Rutgers and West Virginia has not only survived, but have thrived as a direct result of the change. [18]

Gay Marriage

On May 17, 2004, Blumenthal released a legal opinion arguing that same-sex couples could not marry in Connecticut because the state's "statutes do not allow or authorize issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples." [19] He did suggest, however, that the law could be altered, but that responsibility was left up to the Connecticut General Assembly.

Interstate air pollution

In 1997, Blumenthal, in collaboration with then-Governor of Connecticut John G. Rowland, petitioned for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the issue of interstate air pollution from both the Midwest and Southeastern portions of the country. This petition was filed in accordance with Section 126 of the Clean Air Act, which allows a state to request pollution reductions from out-of-state sources that contribute significantly to its air quality problems. [20]

Richard Blumenthal for Senate Campaign logo

Six years later, Blumenthal, along with eleven other state attorneys general, filed suit to prevent what they argued was the "changes that threaten to gut the New Source Review (NSR) section of the federal Clean Air Act." Specifically, they objected to the "new regulation [that] states that any modification costing up to 20 percent of the replacement cost of the unit will be considered routine maintenance – and therefore exempt from pollution controls, even if the plant modification produces much higher levels of air pollution." [21] A number of local governments, including the New York City and various Connecticut municipalities, were also plaintiffs in the suit.

MySpace

In May 2007, Blumenthal demanded that the social networking website, MySpace, turn over a list of known sex offenders who used the site. After initially refusing, Blumenthal, in conjunction with North Carolina Attorney GeneralRoy Cooper, both of whom co-chair the state attorney general task force on social networking, issued a subpoena. In response, MySpace announced that "it has identified about 90,000 convicted registered sex offenders on the site, 40,000 more than previously acknowledged" [22] and that it would turn over the information to the Attorney General's Office for further investigation. Republican state chairman Chris Healy, a fervent Blumenthal critic, praised the state attorney general's action in this matter. [23]

Stanley Works

On May 10, 2002, both Blumenthal and Connecticut State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier helped halt a hostile takeover of the New Britain-based hardware manufacturer Stanley Works, a major Connecticut employer, by filing a lawsuit alleging that a shareowner vote to reincorporate the company in Bermuda was ripe with 'irregularities' and that it "misrepresented how the move to Bermuda could affect shareowners." [24] The matter was referred to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 3 for further investigation. Twenty-two days later, Blumenthal testified before the United States House Ways and Means Committee arguing that "long-time American corporations with operations in other countries can dodge tens of millions of dollars in federal taxes by the device of reincorporating in another country" by "simply [filing] incorporation papers in a country with friendly tax laws, open a post-office box and hold an annual meeting there" and that Stanley Works, along with "Cooper Industries, Seagate Technologies, Ingersoll-Rand and PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, to name but a few, have also become pseudo-foreign corporations for the sole purpose of saving tax dollars." He stated that "Corporations proposing to reincorporate to Bermuda, such as Stanley, often tell shareholders that there is no material difference in the law" [25] but said that this was not the case and was misleading to their shareholders. In order to rectify this situation, Blumenthal championed House Resolution 3884: Corporate Patriot Enforcement Act of 2002 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prevent corporations from avoiding the United States income tax by reincorporating in a foreign country. [26]

The cooperative efforts of Blumenthal and Nappier were not without criticism. An editorial appearing in the May 9, 2003, edition of the Wall Street Journal stated that "Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and GOP Congresswoman Nancy Johnson will no doubt now want to take some responsibility for the company's decision this week to lay off 1,000 workers and close nine facilities." [27]

Terrorist Surveillance Program

In October 2007, Blumenthal was only one of four state attorneys general lobbying Congress to reject proposals to provide immunity from litigation to telecommunication firms that cooperated with the federal government's terrorist surveillance program following the September 11, 2001 attacks. Speaking before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Blumenthal insisted that "granting immunity would short-circuit pending litigation seeking to allow Connecticut and other states to investigate whether telecommunications companies broke state privacy laws prohibiting release of caller information without warrants." [28] And while liberal political activist groups like the ACLU and MoveOn.org pushed for suits against telecommunications firms, such action was opposed by both Bush administration officials and California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who held the pivotal vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee. [29]

ACORN

Blumenthal was one of six state attorneys general, all of whom belonged to the Democratic Party, who received the highest rating, a letter grade of A+, from the June 2008 Survey and Scorecard report published by the embattled liberal political organization, ACORN. The report was published in an effort to shine the spotlight on state attorneys general "leading the fight to protect homeowners from joining the flood of Americans losing their homes to foreclosure," according to the group. [30]

AIG Bonuses

It was revealed in March 2009 that American International Group (AIG), which had "received more than $170 billion in taxpayer bailout money from the Treasury and Federal Reserve," planned to pay out $165 million in bonuses to the same executives who had in the prior year brought the company to the brink of collapse. [31] Three days after this revelation, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd (D) "confessed to adding language to a spending cap in the stimulus bill last month that specifically excluded executive bonuses included in contracts signed before the bill's passage," including those for executives of AIG. [32] Though he passed the blame on Obama administration officials, specifically Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, for pressuring him to insert the language into the bill in the first place, it was revealed that the previous year Dodd has received over $280,000 in political contributions from AIG employees, making the American insurance company the fourth largest contributor to his campaign. [33]

Blumenthal went after AIG, demanding the insurance company provide his office a list of bonus amounts and recipients, in addition to copies of contracts and other information related to their payment. The Connecticut Attorney General, however, did not file suit against Senator Chris Dodd, despite the fact that AIG Financial Products is based out of their home state of Connecticut. Quizzed as to why he was refusing to go after Senator Dodd for his role in the AIG bonus scandal by conservative personality Glenn Beck on his FOX News television program, Blumenthal replied that it was outside the realm of his authority as Connecticut Attorney General. When pressed to give an answer as to what specific law AIG executives had broken in receiving their bonuses, Blumenthal stammered and was unable to cite the exact statute. Beck slammed Blumenthal's response, calling the Connecticut Attorney General "an insult to George Washington," who, he went to say, "made it very clear that we are a respecter of laws, not of men." [34] The conservative radio/television commentator suggested Blumenthal did it to serve his own political ambitions.

CEI rating, 2007

In an analysis of state attorneys general published in January 2007, Blumenthal was named The Nation's Worst Attorney General by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI). Judged based on dubious dealings, fabricating law, usurping legislative power, and predatory practices, the Connecticut Attorney General received a letter grade of F in all four categories. CEI called Blumenthal "a tireless crusader for growing the power of his own ofﬁce and spreading largesse to his cronies." [35]

CEI rating, 2010

In an analysis of state attorneys general published in July 2010, Blumenthal was named "The Nation's Third Worst Attorney General" by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a non-profit public policy organization dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. Basing their criteria on dubious dealings, fabricating law, usurping legislative power, and predatory practices, the Connecticut Attorney General, who at the time of the publication was a gubernatorial candidate, received a letter grade of F in all four categories. The CEI called Blumenthal "a left-wing ideologue who has used the power of his office to spread largesse to cronies." [36]

Eddie Perez

In November 2007, Blumenthal appeared at Arch Street Tavern in Hartford, Connecticut in an effort to raise money, approximately $100 per person, in support of Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez. Months before, Perez had announced that police had searched his house after it was alleged that he "allowed a contractor [who had received city business] to spend around $30,000 to fix his bathroom." [37] An arrest warrant was issued for Perez charging him with bribery, fabricating evidence, and conspiracy to fabricate evidence in January 2009. Eight months later, the Hartford Mayor was arrested again, this time facing extortion charges stemming from a no-bid parking lot deal.

PAC contributions

In an interview conducted on MSNBC's morning program, Morning Joe, in January 2010, Blumenthal argued that he has never accepted PAC contributions, stating, “I have never taken PAC money and I have rejected all special interest money because I have stood strong and have taken legal action against many of those special interests.” [38][39] However, an examination of the Democratic candidate's campaign finance reports on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) website shows that the Connecticut Attorney General's senatorial campaign took in nearly $200,000 in the first quarter of 2010 and that as of late-August 2010 the number has ballooned to as much as $480,000. [40]

Blumenthal's campaign insists, however, that the Democratic candidate never lied. He contends that in the interview he was referring to his twenty years as the state's top law enforcer because "of the unique features of that job." [41] The context of the January 2010 interview reveals otherwise as the female news reporter, just prior to Blumenthal's comment in regards to accepting PAC contributions, was asking about the race for the Senate seat and how expensive the campaign would be. When pressed further about how expensive the race would be, he remarked that "he was going to run a “very grass-roots campaign” and seek fundraising “from ordinary citizens.”" [42]

Richard Miron and William E. Magner, Jr

William Magner of Easton, Connecticut was accused of serving on a cemetery board while being paid to manage cemeteries overseen by the board. The law passed seven years after Magner took his seat on the board. When he learned of the violation, Magner resigned from the board to remain manager.

Magner settled the criminal charges against him by pleading guilty and accepting probation. As of October 2010, Blumenthal continues to seek a six-figure settlement from him, three years after the cemetery association seized his property and fired his management company.

“Our lawsuit against Magner seeks restitution, civil penalties and a court order stopping Magner’s alleged law breaking,” said Tara Downes, spokesman for Blumenthal. “Cemetery associations are entrusted to provide the best service to honor the deceased and their descendants, and should not be compromised by conflicts of interest that threaten to divert funds intended for proper cemetery maintenance and care.”

“We estimate that several consumers are still owed goods or services – collectively worth thousands of dollars – for which they prepaid,” she said.

The cemetery association seized Miron’s property in November 2007 in the presence of four Danbury police officers and an investigator from Blumenthal’s office.

Richard Miron was charged with larceny after taking money for more than 70 gravestones, but never providing the product.

He also settled the criminal charges against him by pleading guilty and accepting probation. However, the payment of restitution satisfied Blumenthal, who decided not to seek any civil penalties although state law allows him to seek $5,000 per victim.

Miron is a longtime party boss in Stratford. According to Raising Hale, Miron "ripped off senior citizens, a synagogue and other clients who paid in advance for at least 70 headstones and received nothing. According to court documents, Miron’s company, Lakeview Monument, was financially unable to fill orders in April 2007, but continued to accept orders for six months.

Miron pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree larceny and was sentenced in June to 10 years of probation.

The Attorney General’s office had begun its investigation into Miron in December 2007. On April 8, 2008, Blumenthal issued a press release as a first public salvo against Miron. Miron paid no fines. Instead, Blumenthal settled for restitution.

“The investigator was present with the consent of the cemetery association,” Downes said. “He had no involvement in any property seizure, nor did he speak to Mr. Magner while there beyond identifying himself when Mr. Magner asked.”

“This office did not seize or attach property in either case (Miron or Magner),” she said. “In the Miron case, the defendant ultimately agreed to provide full restitution, absolving the need to attach property. The Magner case remains ongoing and, as stated above, the state did not seize any property.”[43]

After Raising Hale ran an editorial about the Miron and Magner cases, Blumenthal's office responded, accusing the editorial of making mistakes:

The office sued Lakeview Monuments of Bridgeport and owner Richard Miron, pursuing Miron aggressively when he failed to provide gravestones to at least 73 consumers. The attorney general fought vigorously on behalf of consumers, ultimately achieving a settlement that provided full restitution — every penny back — to all 73 consumers. This agreement provided more prompt relief to consumers who might have been forced to wait years from litigation tied up in court.[44]

Vietnam comment

Words spoken in 2008 at the Veterans War Memorial Building in Shelton, Connecticut to honor those who served during the Vietnam conflict are coming back to haunt State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. In his speech at the event, he recalled "the taunts, the insults, sometimes even physical abuse” visited upon him and his fellow soldiers when they returned home from combat. [45][46] The New York Times also cited at least eight other local newspaper stories published between 2003 and 2009 baring similar comments from Blumenthal.

The problem is that not only did Blumenthal never serve in Vietnam, but that he deliberately sought "at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 and took repeated steps that enabled him to avoid going to war." [46] When he was confronted about the issue in a recent interview, he argued that he can not possibly be knowledgeable about every single thing that is written about him and dodge the matter of whether or not his office has taken steps to correct the inaccuracies. [47]

What makes the issue all the more contentious is that one of the five Republican seeking to challenge Blumenthal in November is former Congressman Rob Simmons, who "enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1965 as a Private, and spent 19 months in Vietnam where he earned two Bronze Star Medals." [48] Blumenthal is receiving severe backlash for the revelation from a number of sources. Andy Levy, an Army Veteran and FOX News commentator, called the Connecticut Attorney General "an utterly despicable coward who claims the bravery and actions of others as your own. Rot in hell." [49] Meanwhile, liberal-leaning pollster Nate Silver suggests that Blumenthal exit the Senate race, arguing that "for a public servant, lying about military service is way worse than lying about an affair." [50]

Blumenthal's senatorial campaign is contending that the article is a "hit job" and "full of inaccuracies." [51] The Democratic Senatorial candidate insisted the next day that in spite of the controversy he would remain in the race. [52] On Friday, May 21, 2010, at the state's Democratic convention, Blumenthal received his party's endorsement, but only after his primary opponent, Merrick Alpert, was prevented from speaking and then formally withdrew his name from nomination. Arriving on stage to the tune of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down," Blumenthal remarked that he has made mistakes, but that he has taken responsibility for his actions and that the campaign must be about the people of Connecticut. [53][54] Two days after accepting the party nomination, he formally apologized "for repeatedly referring to himself as a Vietnam veteran or referencing his return from Vietnam," regretting having not been clear or precise about his service in the Marine Corps Reserves. [55]

Blumenthal wasted no time declaring his candidacy for the United States Senate directly on the heels of Senator Christopher Dodd's announcement on January 6, 2010, that he would be retiring at the end of the congressional term. [1] And while the Connecticut primary election is not until August 10, it appears likely that the DemocraticAttorney General of Connecticut faced off against Republican Rob Simmons, former member of the House of Representatives who lost a re-election campaign in 2006 by eighty-three votes.

Public Policy Polling released information from a survey conducted just prior to Dodd's retirement announcement that showed in a head-to-head matchup, Blumenthal would easily defeat Simmons 59 - 28 percent. [57] Another poll conducted by Quinnipiac University a few days later exhibited Blumenthal's margin of victory over Simmons widening to 62 - 27 percent. [58]

However, after the New York Times broke the story that for years Blumenthal had been lying about having served in Vietnam, Rasmussen conducted a survey of 500 likely voters and found that his lead in the United States Senate had shrunk dramatically to a little over three percentage points. [59] The leading Republican candidate that appears set to challenge him in November is Linda McMahon, former CEO of Wrestling Entertainment, who also took credit for tipping off the New York Times about Blumenthal's exaggerations.

On Friday, May 21, 2010, at the state's Democratic convention, Blumenthal received his party's endorsement, but only after his primary opponent, Merrick Alpert, was prevented from speaking and then formally withdrew his name from nomination. Arriving on stage to the tune of Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down," Blumenthal remarked that he has made mistakes, but that he has taken responsibility for his actions and that the campaign must be about the people of Connecticut. [53][54] Two days after accepting the party nomination, he formally apologized "for repeatedly referring to himself as a Vietnam veteran or referencing his return from Vietnam," regretting having not been clear or precise about his service in the Marine Corps Reserves. [55]

Polling data published by Rasmussen in early-June 2010 showed that after having formally apologized for claiming he had served in Vietnam, Blumenthal had rebounded and holds a twenty-three point lead against leading Republican challenger, Linda McMahon. [60]

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Blumenthal is available dating back to 2010. Based on available campaign finance records, Blumenthal raised a total of $8,733,486 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 25, 2013.[65]

Congressional staff salaries

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Blumenthal paid his congressional staff a total of $1,703,678 in 2011. He ranks first on the list of the lowest paid Democratic senatorial staff salaries and ranks ninth overall of the lowest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Connecticut ranks 14th in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.[70]

Net worth

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Blumenthal's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $86,307,329 and $121,299,056. That averages to $103,803,192, which is higher than the average net worth of Democratic senators in 2012 of $13,566,333.90. Blumenthal ranked as the 2nd most wealthy senator in 2012.[71]